Dante was sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat, in just half an hour he had finished drawing his magic circle.

"It shouldn't be this easy."

He still remembered the difficulties he faced when drawing his 1st circle, but after thinking about it he understood.

When he drew his 1st circle he was nowhere near his current level, making comparisons was pointless.

"Predation has surely played a major role in this, but I think that my bloodline abilities have also something to do with it."

When drawing magic circles, mental energy was essential as a single mistake could lead to the collapse of the circle and the loss of soul power used.

A magic circle was the medium between the magician and the world, to build a magic circle magicians needed to use their own Soul Essence and spiritual power to build it.

The Soul power in the magic circle created a connection between the world and the magician's soul, magic circles could be said to be a bridge which harmonized the interaction between cultivators and the world.

"Is this what it means to control nature? Hahaha, only 2nd circle and I'm already saying bullshit."

While drawing his 2nd circle Dante felt the change that happened to his mental energy, it had grown by a few times and become purer after his breakthrough.

"It should be the work of the Eye Bloodline... Well, I should find some books related to 2nd circle magic in the future."

During the Dungeon training, Dante had only attended classes for 1st circle magic. He only knew some of the most common 2nd circle magics like 'Light' thanks to one of his friends lending him some books

Dante didn't even think about buying anything from the Library in his inner-world, he would go bankrupt in less than a second...

In one of his conversations with Rayleigh, his teacher told him that he should spend his points very wisely unless he wanted to end up like a beggar.

"Buy from the Library only those things you wouldn't be able to find outside!"

He decided to leave his magic circles alone as he focused on his Purple Gold Core.

Since its formation Dante's felt his spiritual power rising at a fast speed as the Purple-Gold Core kept revolving in his dantian, purifying mana into spiritual power.

That was until yesterday when the Core suddenly stopped revolving.

"This is too fast, I broke through a few days ago and I'm already about to breakthrough to the middle-stage Commander level.

If someone were to know about it he would say that my foundation is unstable, but my core isn't showing any signs of cracking..."

At the Commander level, it was all a question of accumulating spiritual power and using it to nurture the core in their Dantian.

Many would remain at the Commander level for years as they slowly accumulated spiritual power in order to breakthrough to General level.

However simple accumulation wasn't enough to become a General level, an epiphany on their own path of understanding was needed to breakthrough.

That epiphany was a wall that many couldn't climb.

"Guess I will just breakthrough now."

Dante closed his eyes as he gathered all his spiritual power in another Core.

This second core would then fuse with the one at the centre of Dante's dantian, nurturing it.

"Now I only have to fuse them."

The second core gradually neared the Purple-Gold Core under Dante's mental energy control.

The moment the Purple-Gold Core absorbed the second core, something unexpected happened.

Dante heard a faint roar come from the Purple-Gold Core.

In his mental energy dimension, a seven coloured Dragon appeared, it was gazing at Dante with an aloof gaze.

Near the Dragon there was an Orc wearing heavy armour with a battleaxe in his hands, the pressure he radiated was no less than that of the Dragon.

Dante wasn't the only one who heard that roar, Basil was meditating in that moment but a cold chill run through his spine as he woke up from his deep meditation.

"What happened!?"

That roar was faint, almost illusory... Basil thought that it had only been his imagination as he focused his mind again, he still felt uneasy.

That night many experts in Winterlake city felt their blood boil as if was being called by something.

As Dante looked at the two he didn't feel any pressure from them only a sense of familiarity, almost as if they were a part of him.

He tried to ask them who they were, but he found himself being unable to send any mental message even if it was his mental dimension.

After a brief moment, the Dragon said a word.

"Heir"

It was said in a language he didn't know, but Dante found that he could understand the meaning of that word clearly.

No, it was better to say meanings.

It was only a word but it conveyed many things.

"Dragon words..."

It was a language that required the use of enormous quantities of spiritual power to be spoken, only Dragons with their limitless spiritual power and extremely powerful cultivators could speak that language.

"You're testing me?"

Dante was being tested, the Dragon wanted to see if he was worthy of them.

He had many questions to ask them, but every time he tried he found himself unable to.

In the end, the Orc and the Dragon disappeared from his mental energy dimension, Dante also left it.

"Who are they? Why did they appear now? Is it due to the breakthrough?"

It was only a long time later that Dante decided to leave the matter for another time.

He was blazing with anger. It was a calm anger which couldn't find any release.

"Another question without answers..."

After a while, he only managed to suppress his anger while bitterness could be seen on his face.

His eyes were a bit colder now.

"At least I can see some hope with the Death Mark."

After the breakthrough, he meditated for another aura as he felt his body grow more powerful while his eye's freezing aura became more evident.

"Time to enter the inner-world"

With a thought, he entered it.

...

As Dante arrived, he was greeted by his teacher's kind words.

"I know that you are angered by your own powerlessness but that will change, don't let it become your heart demon.

I was also like you back in the days... I did everything I could to become powerful and wasn't able to see what really mattered, I was blinded by my own thirst for power...

It was only when I lost them one by one, that I understood how wrong I was...

However it was too late even though I had attained the power I thirsted for, they weren't there anymore.

Don't' let it destroy you Dante, one day you will eventually know the answers."

Dante didn't expect Rayleigh to tell him about his story.

Hearing his teacher's words Dante's previously clouded eyes gradually cleared away as they began releasing a piercing coldness.

The sorrow in Rayleigh's words grew even more as he saw Dante's eyes.

"You are also walking that path...

I just hope that you don't lose too much by the time you realize it..."

These words were said in a low voice, as Dante heard them he shuddered for a moment as confusion briefly flashed in his eyes.

However, it was only for a moment as that cold resolution reappeared, burying everything underneath it.

Rayleigh shook his head, he knew that Dante has just gone through his first change of heart.

That was his first true hurdle on his path as a cultivator.

"Whether you follow my steps or not is up to you now."

...

...

Dante had entered the inner-world for a reason this time.

He wanted to challenge the previous owners of the Death Mark in the Colosseum.

"I want to see how large of a gap is between us."

He wanted to know the difference between him and the first ranked in the Colosseum.

If he had a goal it would be easier for him to bridge that gap.

"And maybe one day I will finally be worthy enough to know those answers..."

Dante unconsciously clenched his fists as the fire of resolution began to burn in his cold blue eyes.

After a few minutes, he finally arrived at the Colosseum.

"Impressive!"

The Colosseum was a hundred meters high and covered a surface of eight thousand square meters. Dante felt like an ant standing beside it.

In front of the entrance of the Colosseum, there was an Arc de Triomphe, its height surpassed that of the Colosseum.

On the arc, three names were carved in an inscription.

1st rank: Dio

2nd rank: Wang Lin

3rd rank: Theodore

The name of the first rank radiated an aura of hegemony which made Dante's blood boil.

He wanted to surpass him!

"Someone should change those rankings..."

Dante walked under the Arc de Triomphe his voice had a hint of arrogance in it.